Florida to make first Stanley Cup Final appearance in 27 years
It was a milestone kind of night at FLA Live Arena on Wednesday.
The first sweep in Florida Panthers history.
The first home series win since 1996.
Oh yeah, and a trip to the Stanley Cup Final for only the second time in franchise history.
Florida defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 thanks to a last second goal by Matthew Tkachuk, sending the sold-out Sunrise building into complete and utter euphoria.
There will be lots to discuss in the coming days, but for now just enjoy the moment.
The Florida Panthers are going to the Stanley Cup Final.
FIRST PERIOD
The Panthers couldn’t have asked for a better start.
Florida’s top line got the puck deep into Carolina’s zone and went to work during the first minute of the game.
Carter Verhaeghe carried the puck toward the middle of the zone and fed Sasha Barkov cutting to the net.
Barkov got the puck to Anthony Duclair who tried a one-timer from a sharp angle. The puck hit the post and bounced into Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen’s pads, but he, and everyone else on the ice, thought the puck had missed the net and gone to the opposite corner.
Duclair found the loose puck when everyone, including Andersen, was looking the wrong way, and deposited it into the net.
Moments after the goal, Sam Bennett absolutely crushed Jaccob Slavin with a body check behind the Hurricanes’ net.
Slavin appeared to hit his head on the boards and fell onto the back of the net when trying to get up. He was helped to the bench by a trainer. DID HE RETURN.
Anderson made a sharp glove save on Bennett with Florida on the power play midway through the period. Bennett carried the puck through the neutral zone and went right into the teeth of the Hurricanes’ penalty kill but slithered right through them and got a good shot on goal.
Later in the penalty, Aaron Ekblad sent a shot toward the net that was partially blocked. Matthew Tkachuk stopped the puck just before it got to Andersen and quickly slid it form his backhand to his forehand before firing the puck through the goalie’s legs.
With just over seven minutes to go in the period, Paul Stastny got Carolina on the board.
A Brady Skjei shot from the point hit the post behind Sergei Bobrovsky. It sat underneath Bob for a moment before Stastny got there and pushed in into the net.
Aho came flying in on Bobrovsky a few minutes later, leading an odd-man rush with Seth Jarvis before sending a heavy wrist shot on goal that Bob swallowed up into his chest pad.
Shots were even at nine apiece after the first period, but it was the Panthers taking a 2-1 lead into the first intermission.
After the final horn, Hurricanes defenseman Brent Burns appeared to spear Tkachuk in the groin area.
Tkachuk stayed on the ice for a couple minutes before skating off under his own power.
SECOND PERIOD
A burst of speed by Verhaeghe sent him past Shayne Gostisbehere and in on a semi-breakaway early in the second but Andersen was able to keep the puck out of the net.
Poor communication in the Florida zone led to the tying goal.
A mix-up behind the net between Montour and Colin White led to Jesperi Kotkaniemi finding all kinds of space with the puck, and eventually the puck found its way to Teuvo Teravainen who beat Bobrovsky over the blocker.
Martin Necas needed help getting to the Hurricanes’ locker room after a point shot by Burns hit him in the side of the knee.
Necas went down immediately and was in clear pain, as there is very little padding in that area, but returned to the game about ten minutes later.
Florida re-claimed the lead on a goal by Ryan Lomberg following a great shift by the fourth line.
Lomberg started the play by keeping possession of the puck at the Carolina blue line and simultaneously hitting Kotkaniemi.
Lomberg fed the puck to Eric Staal between the circles, who then spun around and passed to a cutting White. White made a move to his forehand but instead of shooting, passed back to the far post where Lomberg was waiting to slam the puck home.
Both teams would get late power plays, but neither could capitalize.
Carolina outshot Florida 16-9 during the second period but it was the Panthers taking a 3-2 lead into the break.
THIRD PERIOD
Eetu Luostarinen did not come out for the start of the third period. He left midway through the second after blocking a shot by Pesce.
Gudas was called for a high stick at the 4:27 mark, giving the Hurricanes their fourth power play of the game.
Bobrovsky stood tall, making four saves during the two minute penalty to keep the Panthers ahead.
Anderson came up with a huge save on Bennett with just over eleven minutes left after the scrappy center found himself alone in the slot with the puck on his tape.
A couple minutes later Lomberg nearly scored again but his quick shot from the bottom of the left circle rung off the post behind Andersen.
Carolina tied the game with 3:22 to go on a quick play that ended with Jesper Fast one-timing a puck from the top of the crease over Bobrovsky.
Reinhart created a great opportunity for himself after making a couple nice moves to get into the Carolina zone, but Anderson again made the save.
Jordan Staal was called for tripping Forsling in the offensive zone with just under a minute to go. It would prove to be a big penalty.
With 4.9 seconds to go, Matthew Tkachuk found a loose puck at the side of the net, walked to the top of the crease and sent it over Andersen and into the top of the net.
Ballgame over.
Series over.
Eastern Conference Final over.
The Florida Panthers are going to the Stanley Cup Final.
GAME NOTES
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